The Bird Competition: Oct. 1, 2026

  • 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
  • UNT Health, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd.; view a map
  • Annual Print and Digital Image Competition, Fort Worth Camera Club versus Dallas Camera Club

Members of both clubs are invited to watch judges review images and prints from Dallas and Fort Worth in our annual contest. Judges will review and score 15 digital images and 15 prints from each club. The club that receives the most total points wins. Judges are not current club members and have no information about the photographer.

The Emily Guthrie Smith Award, affectionately referred to as The Bird Competition, has been held since 1964, except 1975 and 2016. The competition is in October or November, and the location rotated between the clubs. Fort Worth Camera Club won for 17 consecutive years before Dallas ended that streak in 2025.

The Competition committee elects Fort Worth entries submitted by club members. Learn more from Ken Spencer.

History

EmilyGuthrieSmithSignature

Despite the name, the contest is not about bird photography. The competition began when Emily Guthrie Smith suggested that an annual contest would be fun for both clubs. Smith was a Fort Worth native and nationally known artist and teacher. Her works are in private collections, museums and the Archives of American Artists in the Smithsonian Institution.

She donated and carved the trophy, above, a wood sculpture engraved with the winning club’s name, but the reason she chose a bird is not known.

Bird image courtesy of Dallas Camera Club. History courtesy of Fort Worth Camera Club Lifetime Members Robert Chura and Becky Scott.

Coming Soon

  • Nov. 5, 2026 – Our program will be about the Kimbell Art Museum’s first ever photography exhibit, Photography’s First Century: Masterworks from the Bibliotheque national de France.
  • Dec. 2, 2026 – Enjoy a year-end party at Los Vaqueros restaurant, 2513 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth 76164, in the Stockyards. NOTE: This is Wednesday, not our usual Thursday meeting date. Awards will be presented to members who accrued points at 2026 monthly competition. Learn more at scheduled meetings on Sept. 17, Oct. 15 and Nov. 5 and 19.